IKEA starts selling residential solar panels

IKEA, Delft, Netherlands, will start selling residential solar panels at its stores in Britain, according to www.yahoo.com.

The company started selling solar panels made by China's Hanergy in its store in Southampton Sept. 30; it plans to sell them in the rest of Britain in coming months.

A standard, all-black 3.36 kilowatt system for a semi-detached home will cost 5,700 British pounds ($9,200) and include an in-store consultation and design service, as well as installation, maintenance and energy monitoring service. The solar panel investment will be paid off in about seven years for an average homeowner in Britain, according to IKEA Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard.

Some U.S. retailers, including Home Depot and Lowe's, already sell solar panels. However, in other parts of the world, consumers often have to research specialist firms before purchasing panels.

IKEA picked Britain as its test market because it has a combination of mid-level electricity prices and government-sponsored financial incentives that make investing in solar energy attractive to consumers. IKEA plans to launch the products in other countries eventually.